Amélie Café & Wine Bar

A traditional French pastry program, baked every morning, yields fresh viennoiserie – pains aux chocolats, pains aux raisins and more – and baguettes with just the right amount of crunch and crackle. Tres bien! While the baguettes play a starring role, soft buns add a buttery note, akin to brioche, to ground beef piled with Emmenthal and caramelized onions. The menu reflects the restaurant’s California locale at dinner in dishes like a pork chop with corn and chorizo or a Gem lettuce salad with Parmesan and fresh vegetables. But you are here for the escargot in parsley-garlic butter, moules marinières and duck confit with duck fat roasted potatoes and other French fare. And of that, there is a plenty. The owners run a wine bar in San Francisco and have a deep understanding of regional French wines, many of them available by the glass, carafe or bottle. They show their commitment to the American lifestyle by offering brunch Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Don’t Miss: The Happy Hour menu, served from 3–5 p.m. weekdays, hits the French highlights (quiche, crispy goat cheese salad) and it’s the only time of day when Plateau Apero – aperitif platter – is available. Choose a mix of charcuterie, cheese and accompaniments and it arrives on its own board with a mini baguette. Très chic!